The early history of Colorado is often forgotten, even among local residents. As a frontier area, the early history of the state involves the discovery of gold and silver, the killing and forced relocation of native peoples and one of the largest early race riots in the West.
Native American History
Colorado's first residents were the Ute Indians. The Utes moved to Colorado from the Utah deserts.
European Annexation
Spanish settlers from New Mexico claimed the area now known as Colorado for Spain in the 18th century.
Colorado Gold Rush
Gold was discovered in the Rocky Mountains in 1858 and triggered a gold rush.
The Building of Denver & Native Displacements
Denver was built on land originally occupied by Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians. The Colorado Territory was created in 1861 with the ordering of native people off their land. In 1864, U.S. cavalry troops attacked a village of sleeping Indians at Sand Creek and massacred several hundred, including women and children. In 1867, troops returning from the Civil War forced the removal of all Indians from the Colorado plains.
Statehood
Colorado was admitted to the Union in 1876. This was followed by a silver strike in the late 1870s, which triggered an influx of migrant labor.
Chinese Riot of 1880
In 1880, Denver had a relatively large Chinese population. On October 31, 1880, a Chinese immigrant fired in self-defense at a white resident, triggering the Chinese Riot of 1880 in which the entire Chinese community was destroyed and one Chinese man was lynched. This riot was one of the main causes of the Chinese Exclusion Act. To this day, the riot is known among locals in Colorado by the derogatory term "Hop" Alley Riot.
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